


Sunset

by thedarkofnight84



Category: The Hobbit RPF
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M, Past Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-17
Updated: 2016-03-18
Packaged: 2018-05-27 08:30:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6277159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thedarkofnight84/pseuds/thedarkofnight84
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Richard and Lee went their separate ways after The Hobbit. One night in the future they meet up at an event and  reminisce about the past, talk about what went wrong and work things out, all while walking through New York City.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Differences

**Author's Note:**

> First attempt at Hobbit RPF. Please feel free to let me know about any mistakes.

Richard hated these events. He hated dressing up, pretending like he was having a good time for the cameras, and making small talk with people he didn’t really know. But he had learned a long time ago that this came with the territory. He loved acting, it was his passion, and he thrived on shedding his own awkward and shy skin and slipping into someone else’s, if only for a few weeks. If every once in a while, he had to attend these events, so be it. But he wasn’t going to like it.

He sipped his wine, half listening to the people seated at his table. He laughed at the appropriate places, alternating between making eye contact with others and staring at the elegantly styled table, with fancy silverware and fresh cut flowers. His eyes scanned the room, and stopped when he saw him. A tall figure, lean and impeccably dressed. Lee. Richard instantly felt over heated, his head racing.

_How long has he been here? Has he seen me?_

He stood up rapidly, and gave some sort of apology while making a beeline to the outdoor patio.

_I’m not running away. I just need fresh air._

He stepped out into the patio, the cool New York afternoon hitting his face. The sun was just beginning to go down, and for a moment he was thankful to be here instead of his home in London, where it had been downright cold and rainy and miserable for the past couple of days. A couple of people were scattered outside, mostly talking on their cell phones and re-applying makeup.

“Richard? I thought that was you,” said a voice from behind him, one that he would recognize anywhere. He momentarily stiffened before turning around and looking right at Lee Pace. “Were you hiding from me?” he asked with a crooked smile, eyes crinkling.

“No,” Richard answered, but they both knew the answer was yes. “You know how I hate these things.”

“It’s nice to see you,” said Lee, reaching over for an awkward hug. Richard hugged him for a tad longer than he should have, his eyes closing for a moment and just taking it in – Lee, his cologne, their arms enveloping each other. Richard quickly stepped away, blushing. He turned his back on Lee and leaned against the railing, facing Central Park.

“Beautiful evening isn’t it?” said Lee, casually standing next to him.

“Tell me about it. Went from filming in cold and snowy Berlin to cold and rainy London,” said Richard with a thin smile. “The weather is probably why I agreed to come to this thing!”

They both laughed softly, and Lee met Richard’s eyes. “Why don’t we get out of here? Go for a walk?” His voice was strong, but Richard could see that Lee was nervous, his body bracing for a rejection.

 

* * *

 

 

It had slipped out of Richard’s mouth. He meant it. Yes. He was sure, but he had not been ready to release his feeling out loud, least of all to Lee. “I love you.”

Three simple words, and Lee froze underneath him. They were on the couch, in his (temporary) New Zealand apartment. They had been leisurely making out, lips wet and too long bodies tangled and folded into the little couch.

Richard moved up to a sitting position, as did Lee. “I’m sorry,” Richard whispered. This was apparently the wrong thing to say, as Lee’s face changed from shocked to hurt. “No, what I mean is, I’m sorry for blurting it out like this. But I do mean it. I’m in love with you, Lee.”

“Rich, listen. I know this has all happened really fast,” Lee sighed.

And it had, from the moment the two first met there was something, a meeting of the minds, two different puzzle pieces coming together – one funny and outgoing and friendly and jovial, the other shy and quiet and sometimes too serious. Even with the differences, they had clicked immediately, sharing the same sense of humor and both calming and reassuring the other. Conversation had flowed easily between the two, on topics ranging from politics to acting styles to bungee jumping and everything in between.

Richard knew Lee had recently gotten out of a relationship so he tried his best to not seem pushy or demanding. So when Lee had finally kissed him one evening in his trailer, Richard was full of joy and anticipation and relief, his lips meeting Lee’s over and over again, until all of a sudden a hand was under his shirt and a shirt was off and a belt fell to the ground and they were in bed naked.

Richard had always been bi, it was something that his close friends and family were aware of, but he had never felt the need to go out of his way and announce to the world. He mostly figured no one would care about the sexual preferences of a thirty-some year old relative unknown actor from Leicester.

From the moment he pushed his cock into Lee, he knew that this was what he had waited so long for. The relationships he had in the past, with men and women, short flings and long term relationships were nothing, absolutely nothing compared to this. The way Lee grabbed on to his arms as he thrust in. The way Lee’s naked body was glistening with sweat, the places where their bodies touched almost slippery. The way Lee moaned and grunted with every in and out. This was it, Richard knew it.

“Rich, listen, I just got out of a very serious relationship a few months ago,” Lee said softly, running his hands through his hair. “I love you…”

_Why did you say that, you fool? I’ve fucked this up now._

“But this is all happening very fast and it’s scary for me,” finished Lee with a frown.

Richard was beyond embarrassed, and he didn’t know what to do. For the first time since they met, he had no idea what to say to Lee.

“I was with John for four years. I thought he was the one. I thought that he was my future. And to have that all come crashing down…it almost killed me. If I hadn’t gotten the Hobbit, who knows what I would’ve done? It was the best thing that could’ve happened. I met all these new people, and I met you.”

The two sat in silence for a while.

“Are you saying I’m some sort of a rebound? What are we doing then?” asked Richard.

“No, why would you think that?” Lee asked loudly, standing up and pacing around the trailer. “I like you a lot, but it’s scary to me to think that in a month I’ll be done here and I’ll be back in New York and you’ll be back in London and then what? When we started this, I didn’t realize it would turn into something so serious. It’s a little scary.”

“I don’t know what you want me to say,” answered Richard. He was growing more and more panicked with each moment, thinking that he had really gone and messed it up. “I love you, Lee. It’s true. I can’t help it. I’ve never felt this way about anyone, male or female. But I don’t have any answers for you right now. If you feel like this, I can’t ask you to stay with me here in New Zealand after you’re done filming. And I can’t move to New York. I don’t know what to say, or do.”

Richard felt his eyes filling up with tears, his vision blurry. If only he had kept quiet.

Richard rubbed his eyes. Lee sat down next to him and wrapped himself around Richard, his long limbs enveloping Richard as he straddled him on the couch.

“Baby, don’t be sad,” said Lee, his voice full of emotion. He began to kiss Richard’s cheeks, slowly. “Let’s just take it slow and see what happens.”

The two just held each other tight, each lost in their own thoughts.

After that night, something shifted in the relationship. They just weren’t as open with each other, almost like they were walking on eggshells. Filming went into overdrive, with time running out and everyone scrambling to finish sets, costumes, and scenes. Lee and Richard barely saw each other. They had lunch every once in a while or sex in a trailer or a quick make out session, but they were always busy in separate sets or had overlapping schedules. They never talked about the future.

It was Lee’s last day on set. Richard got a little bit of free time to go and watch as Peter said a few words and gifted Lee with some props. Lee seemed happy while Richard, standing in a dark corner of the set behind everyone, felt like sobbing. He couldn’t figure out what to say to Lee, how they could come to an understanding, and now Lee was leaving. Back to New York, back to his apartment he used to share with John, back to his circle of friends. Graham walked up next to him and put his arm around Richard. No words were necessary.

To an outsider, it would have been hilarious to see the dwarf king and the elf king hugging each other while crying. But that was precisely what happened the next morning, when Lee’s luggage was being loaded into the car.

One last kiss and Lee was off. No promises made, no declarations were made. Richard felt so lost and disheartened as he watched the car – and his love – drive away.


	2. Julliard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the support, I'm very pleased people actually read this. In case you're wondering, Lee and Richard start out at the Museum of Natural Science in Manhattan. In this chapter, they walk to Julliard (at 65th and Broadway), then have dinner at Kashkaval Garden (at 56th and 9th Ave) before heading to The London Hotel (near 54th and 7th Ave).

One of the reasons Lee loved living in New York is the anonymity he could enjoy. Most people didn’t recognize him, he wasn’t _that_ well known. If they did recognize him, most New Yorkers would glance over and keep going about their lives. This made it easy for him to comfortably take the subway to get around, pick up some groceries, and (as he was currently doing) walk down Central Park West with Richard at his side.

“So how have you been?” asked Richard.

“Fine. Lazy. I go back to Atlanta in a few months, but besides that I’ve just been taking it easy,” Lee replied with a smile. “My agent seems to hate it. You?”

“I’m starting The Crucible in a few weeks…”

“I read about that,” interrupted Lee. “I’m so proud of you. I know theater is where your heart is.”

“I think my agent hates it too, going from a blockbuster film to a play. I’m stressed about it,” confessed Richard. “It’s a tough character, and a long play, and what if I fuck it all up?”

“You won’t,” said Lee with a smile. “I know you’ll be great.”

“I would love for you to come see it,” said Richard, looking down at the sidewalk. 

“I would love to,” replied Lee, hoping Richard was not noticing the way his face flushed. 

Lee had read about the upcoming production, and was dying to see it. He knew what Richard was capable of as an actor, even if Richard himself wasn’t. Even though Richard was always plagued with self doubts, Lee knew that his John Proctor would be a monumental character on stage. He knew that Richard would dive into the character with everything he had, a thought that both exhilarated and scared Lee. Richard’s ability to become a character was both startling and impressive, the way he changed physically (voice and appearance) and got into the character’s mindset. 

“We’ve been rehearsing and it’s like a marathon. I don’t know how my voice will hold up…” Richard paused when he saw that Lee had stopped walking. “Lee?”

“I haven’t walked around here for years. I used to walk around this area all the time when I was in Julliard. It’s just a block from here.”

“Well let’s go,” replied Richard with an amused smile, turning to cross the street.

 

“It seems like so long ago,” said Lee, staring at the sleek glass building. 

It was a long time ago, almost a different life. Lee remembers coming to New York City for the first time in 1997, a fairly naïve southern boy, both awed and scared of everything around him. Sure, Houston was a large city, but it was nothing compared to the hustle and bustle of Manhattan, a 24/7 playground with bright lights, loud sounds, and things that shocked the hell out of Lee.

He had come into his own here, not just as an actor, but as a man. He remembers being introduced to the gay scene; finally coming to terms with his sexuality. Sure, he had a number of high school “girlfriends” who held his hand and made out with him in the backseat of his car, but it never felt quite right. He was always attracted to males, their broad shoulders and angular faces and the lack of curves that set them apart from the girls in his classes. It was Texas, after all, and a different time, so Lee had always kept quiet about it.

“You know,” Lee said, as the two walked down Columbus Avenue, past the lights and crowds of Lincoln Center, “I came out to my parents over the phone? I called them up a month after I came up here and told them I was gay. I thought I was surprising them and it was like I told them Houston is in Texas or the sky is blue or something.”

Richard laughed at the thought of Lee’s parents getting that phone call. If he had to be perfectly honest, though, he was a little jealous. His own coming out as bisexual was met with skepticism and confusion. The next few holiday visits and birthday parties at the Armitage household were filled with tense silence and complete avoidance of the subject. After a while, his parents were accepting and his relationship with them had definitely improved. They had met Lee when they came out to New Zealand for a visit and Richard’s mother in particular was enamored by him.

 

“I’m getting a bit hungry…shall we get a bite to eat?” asked Lee, interrupting his thoughts.

Richard was hungry, having had too much too drink (to ease his anxiety) and not enough food (if you could call little puff pastries “food”) at the event.

They found a tiny Mediterranean restaurant tucked into a corner of 9th Avenue, a shoebox with glass windows that looked pretty empty.

The restaurant was thankfully quiet and the waitress, while friendly, did not seem to acknowledge who they were.

They ate their tapas with gusto, only pausing to take a sip of wine (pinot noir, of course) and chit chat about upcoming projects and recent travel adventures.

Lee was just getting to that point between sober and tipsy when he blurted out “So, are you seeing anyone?”

Richard looked up from his food, looked Lee straight in the eyes, and shook his head. “No. There’s no one else in my life.”

Lee tried to control his breathing, the combination of Richard’s gaze slashing through him and the wine and the statement a bit too much for him to process.

Richard’s look softened a bit. “If we’re going to get into this, do you want to head to my hotel? Just to talk privately? It’s just down the road, if I remember correctly.”

Lee nodded and smiled. He was usually a pretty calm, easy going person, but this was Richard. He missed him, missed their conversations, missed being with him. The way their relationship – or whatever anyone wants to call it – ended was completely wrong, and something that Lee felt endlessly guilty about. He had been scared, yes, and it had been all a whirlwind. However, after leaving New Zealand, Lee had realized just how much Richard had become a part of his life. A big chunk of his life, really.

He had returned to New York with a feeling of emptiness. Such a large scale project finished such an exhilarating experience (both as an actor and as a person) over just like that. All these new friends he had met, now scattered throughout the world, some still in New Zealand filming and others back home. He wondered if the others felt the same, a little exhausted but at the same time finding it hard to sit still and relax, not waking up at odd hours to battle a fake orc in front of a green screen while hundreds of extras ran around.

There was always a “down” feeling after a project was finished for actors. But that, combined with Richard’s absence, left Lee feeling very deflated for months. His agent had pushed him to do _something_ , anything to capitalize on his being in a very popular blockbuster, but to no avail. None of the scripts Lee got interested him and even the few plays he was offered seemed mediocre at best.

Richard snatched the bill up with a smile and paid. They left the restaurant and began walking, turning on 54th Street. Lee had the childish urge to grab Richard’s hand as they walked, settling for bumping into him every once in a while.

It was night time now, the air brisk and Lee sort of wishing he had a coat on. It was at that point when Lee realized how ridiculous they must look, both in impeccable designer suits walking down the city’s streets alongside tourists with cameras and residents walking dogs and the odd guy screaming something about the end of the world. Looking up at Richard, he realized that there was nowhere else he’d rather be at this moment.


End file.
